


The Fearless Were Once Fearful

by BlueEyedArcher



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Caring Rick, Daryl Has Issues, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Head Injury, Hurt Daryl, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Insecure Daryl, Merle Being an Asshole, Mindfuck, Past Rick Grimes/Shane Walsh, Physical Abuse, Police Officer Rick, Police Officer Shane, Pre-Zombie Apocalypse, Shane Being an Asshole, Walkers (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-04 08:16:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5327084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedArcher/pseuds/BlueEyedArcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl goes on a supply run with Aaron but when the run goes bad, Daryl finds himself in a strange predicament he can't wrap his head around and ends up at the mercy of two unusual captors and faces his greatest fears. This is in 5 parts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Everything (People and places) in chapters 2, 3 and 5 are all symbolism for Daryl. for his fears and his past.

Daryl Dixon had set out of the gates of Alexandria on a supply run for food with the aid of Aaron who knew every inch of this area. The night before, Aaron had mentioned a local grocery store in the next town over that was relatively untouched by raiders and had a decent amount of supplies within. A group of walkers had been wandering around the area like guard dogs keeping most looters at bay but he figured a way in and out without alerting the troublesome corpses.

They rode out to the town in a small red pick up truck and parked it on the outskirts of the town near an auto shop, just around the back behind some heavy foliage that had grown over the building and the back fence. They trekked the rest of the way across town on foot so as to not attract any unnecessary attention. Daryl kept his crossbow close by as they reached a pet store just down the street from the grocer. Aaron stood at his side and peered around the corner. "Good, looks clear." Aaron reassured before pointing ahead "There. That's where the supplies are."

Daryl observed the store for a minute, taking in the sight of the small building. It's front windows blotted out with massive sale's prices for bread and other goods. He squinted as the harsh evening sun reflected off the glass as he searched for movement inside the building. As far as he could tell, it was vacant. He nodded to Aaron "Ready?"

Aaron nodded "Yeah." He and Daryl darted out from their cover and crossed the street, past a lumber yard to the grocer, looking around to make sure all was clear. He stood watch as Aaron tested the door finding it locked. Aaron cursed under his breath.

"Around back." Daryl gestured to Aaron. Aaron waved him to lead. As they turned the corner, they stumbled upon a handful of walkers, standing around staring up at a moving piece of broken shingles hanging off the rooftop. Daryl stopped in his tracks and started to back pedal but the walkers took notice of their presence and started after them. "Run!" Daryl ordered, shooting off a arrow at a walker that got a little too close for comfort.

Aaron ran back towards the pet shop, getting a good head start. Daryl turned to catch up when a line of walkers scrambled through a piece of broken fence that separated the lumber yard from the main street. Aaron turned around, hearing the boards breaking and cracking as one after another came out of the yard. "Keep going! I'll be fine." Daryl ordered over the growls of the walkers. Aaron looked as if he was conflicted but Daryl shouted again "I'll distract them. Run!" Then he backed up, whistling at the herd and waving his arms in the air, redirecting the herds attention from his companion. "Hey! Come and get me!" He hollered before running across the street and maneuvering himself down a narrow alleyway. As the walkers followed suit, the alley forced them to move in a single file line. The alleyway was littered with junk which threatened to trip Daryl up but he was agile and swiftly navigated the mine field of trash. He tossed a look behind him and smiled to himself as the walkers tripped over the junk and soon piled up, falling on top of each other. They dragged themselves across the alley floor frantic to catch their prey. Daryl took the chance to gain some distance and squeezed between a dumpster and a broken chain link fence, making it back onto the main street. Thinking quickly, he spotted an old streamline camper left abandoned and partially covered by a tarp next to a gas station. He hurried across as a small handful of walkers managed to free themselves from the pile and onto the streets. Daryl ran to the gas station, tugging on the tarp and locating the step ladder on the backside of the streamline out of sight of the walkers and mounted it.

He held his breath as he slid underneath the dust covered tarp. Each movement of it made obvious noise but also threatened to choke him with the dirt clouds. He grabbed his bandana and placed it over his mouth and breath. His eyes stung and his throat burned, as he held back a coughing fit. The walkers circled the streamline in search of their prey. They loitered about for a few minutes before they lost interest and wandered off.

Daryl waited a little bit longer just to be sure they were gone for good and no others decided to return or lingered about before climbing down. He knelt, gingerly lifting the tarp off of him. Suddenly his entire body froze as he felt something wrong. He listened, searching the air for the sound. He could have swore he heard something. Waiting for a few more seconds in silence before moving again. **CRACK!** The sound came all too suddenly as Daryl felt like he was falling then a sharp pain filled his head with exploding colorful lights dancing across his vision then fading into darkness.


	2. Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl finds that all is not as it should be. Strange occurrences have come to light.

     Daryl blinked his eyes open and stared straight up. He peered through a hole in the streamline ceiling, staring up at a starry night sky. A sharp pain lingered in the back of his head. He made to sit up, debris and dust falling off of him. He coughed and licked his parched lips. His face felt slightly burned from the sun's harsh rays beating down on him. He looked around slowly wondering what time it was and how long he had been out. He placed his hands over his face and exhaled slowly, running his hands upwards through his hair. At least he got away from the walkers. His thoughts drifted to Aaron's well being. Wondering if he managed to get away. Hopefully he didn't try to be a hero. Daryl felt the back of his head where the pain reverberated and found a rather large lump there. The rest of him was littered with cuts, scrapes and bruises.  
  
        Shakily, he managed to get to his feet, gripping a busted cabinet as his support while his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He looked around, noticing he's done a hell of a lot more damage to the streamline then it had to him. By the smell of the inside, he figured the roof had been rotted by the moisture. A victim of the harsh Georgia humidity. He was lucky he only had a bump to show for it. As far as he knew the fall could have killed him or worse, a walker could have been trapped inside. Feeling sure of himself, he dug around in the debris for his crossbow then cautiously opened the door. Peering around the streamline to check to see if the coast was clear, feeling confident it was, he slipped out of the camper and into the darkness. The silver body of the camper glowed in the waning moonlight of the crescent moon. Daryl was thankful for the natural light so as not to be wandering blindly in walker infested territory.  
  
        He began his long walk back to Alexandria, following main street back towards the auto repair shop. As he walked along the quiet empty street, he caught a glimpse of the grocery store they had planned to loot. He did a quick scope of his surroundings then figured he might as well try again. All this trouble just to go back empty handed. It didn't sit right with him. As he approached the grocer, something felt a little off. It didn't look the same as it had earlier. It appeared cleaner, more kept. He shook the thoughts away, assuming it was just in his head and headed for the back door where the stock room was. Luckily enough there wasn't a single walker in sight. He smiled to himself, maybe he could get in and get out quick. He tried the door but found it padlocked. He used the butt of his crossbow to bust lock then entered with ease.  
  
        Walking inside, the store looked untouched. All the goods were neatly stacked on the shelves. As he approached one shelve, he realized there was hardly any dust on anything either. The place had an odd smell to it as well. He couldn't quiet place it at first but as he walked around, filling his dufflebag with goods, he recognized the smell. Bleach. But that didn't seem right.  
  
        As he passed from one aisle to the next, he caught a flicker of lights outside the store. He peered around the shelves and saw the faint glow of blue and red lights. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see past the giant letters and numbers that blocked his view outside the windows. Suddenly a sickening feeling settled inside of him. This wasn't right. What was a cop car doing all the way out here. He watched a shadow move to the front entrance windows and flash a flashlight beam inside as if searching for something.  
  
        Feeling like he had enough, he shouldered his dufflebag and crossbow and made his way for the back door, assuming he could easily slip away. As he stepped out the back entrance he heard a click then came a rough voice that sent chills down his spine. "Freeze." The order came naturally but Daryl was dumbfounded. His entire body stopped, not as a response to the command but more out of shock and confusion. He turned towards the voice. "Drop the bag." Daryl eyed the owner of the voice. He was a man of average height, black hair and brown eyes. He wore the all too familiar light brown officer's uniform holding his firearm at the ready,  
  
        "Drop it. Now." The man repeated his orders. That voice. The man. Daryl felt a sudden rush of dizziness. He dropped the bag and his crossbow and stepped back. More like stumbled. He felt like the world was shifting on him. Flipping and rolling before him. Throwing ghosts in his path.  
  
        Daryl felt a presence behind him but before he could react, he felt rough hands grip his arms then the cold metal of handcuffs bite into his wrists. The man in front of him moved forward and seized his bag and crossbow. A gruff voice came from behind him as the officer read him his rights. "Well, well, what do we have here." The first officer said as he leaned down and opened the bag then looked at Daryl confused. "Food? You know, when most people break into a business, they steal money right?"  
  
       "Don't you know Shane, never steal while hungry. You tend to get all the wrong things." The man behind Daryl joked.  
  
        "Does that also include theft with a crossbow, Rick?" The officer, Shane, responded.  
  
        "Well that is a first." The officer, Rick, spoke.  
  
        Daryl's head spun faster and faster, the conversation of the two officers before him blurred into distant white noise. He felt sick to his stomach. His mind unable to comprehend what was going on, gave up. The pain in the back of his head grew worse. Daryl hissed in pain as his knees buckled beneath him and his vision faded. He felt the officer behind him try to pull him back to his feet then Daryl's consciousness gave up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
        A cold wave washed over Daryl and his lungs seized for a moment. Rousing him from his sleep. His eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright, coughing and choking as water dripped down his face. He gasped and coughed looking around for the source of the water only to find a very amused officer standing before him with an empty five gallon bucket in his hands. "Thought you'd like a bath." He grinned down at the redneck. Daryl raised his hand to wipe the water out of his eyes only to find both his hands still clasped in cuffs. He looked at the cuffs then back up at the officer, blinking away water droplets. He still couldn't believe his eyes. For the man before him was Officer Shane Walsh.  
  
        "Shane." A voice came from down the hall. Suddenly the other officer walked into sight. "What do you think you're doing?" He questioned Shane.  
  
        "Just giving our little friend a bath." Shane retorted, his mouth curling into a smile. He was obviously the only one amused. "Come on Rick. I know you think it's funny too."  
  
        Daryl almost didn't recognize the officer standing in the hallway. It had been a long time since he'd seen Rick Grimes, clean shaven and in his Sheriff's uniform. But Shane on the other hand. He was unmistakeable. Daryl never really liked Shane and wasn't too torn up about the news of his death. He never trusted the man. He was two-faced. Daryl knew his kind. The kind Merle associated with often. Daryl still couldn't wrap his head around what was going on though he wasn't about to voice his opinion on the situation. This all had to be some mistake. He'd hit his head and was imagining things again. Just like when he was looking for Sophia. None of it is real. Just all in his head. Though, this would be the first time his imagination dumped physical water on him.  
  
        His thoughts were interrupted by Shane. "Hey, pay attention." His tone of voice quickly switched. His smile vanished and his eyes hardened, demanding Daryl's attention. "Get up." He ordered.  
  
        Daryl didn't know why but he obeyed, getting to his feet. If he were his younger self he would've rebelled and started a fight. As he moved, he realized his entire body ached. His head still throbbed and his eyes were sensitive to the harsh light inside the jail. He hung his head using his long unkempt hair as a curtain to block a majority of the light out. Rick guided Daryl down the hallway to a interrogation room, Shane was right close to his heels, watching his every move like a hawk. If he moved too slowly, Shane would push him forward and bark another command. When he entered the room, Shane sat him down in the chair, hard, before standing behind Rick who took a seat across the table. Daryl sat slumped in the chair, staring down at his hands.  
  
        "Now then." Rick began. "This conversation will be recorded for legal purposes." He informed, the words sounded rehearsed and overused. "Would you start by stating your name?"  
  
        Daryl remained in silence. His thoughts preoccupied with other matters. Rick watched Daryl for a few seconds. He was patient and reserved. Whereas Shane was obviously unamused and growing a bit agitated. "Hey, are you stupid or something?" Shane questioned.  
  
        "Shane." Rick said, an obvious order to relax.  
  
        "Sorry Rick but this asshole is already getting on my nerves." Shane explained quickly.  
  
        "Give us a minute." Rick turned to look at Shane. Shane looked at Rick then back at Daryl then nodded and left the room.  
  
        Rick turned off the recording device and sighed. "You alright?" He inquired, getting up from his seat and walking around the table, he sat on the edge of the table so he and Daryl were face to face. Daryl looked up at Rick, confused. Rick gestured towards his face. "You look a little beat up."  
  
        Daryl nodded. "Yeah, so?" His voice was a low murmur.  
  
        "Listen, Daryl. I know who you are and I know about your situation. All I ask for is a little cooperation and everything will just go smoothly." Rick explained. "Can you do that for me? Please." He pleaded.  
  
        Daryl gave a subtle nod. "I guess."  
  
        "I appreciate that." Rick added. "Now, Daryl, why were you stealing food?"  
  
        Daryl thought for a moment and figured it was best to keep quiet but since it was Rick that was asking, he might as well give a little. Besides, this was all in his head. What was the worst that could happen. "Got hungry people." He spoke softly.  
  
        "Hungry people. Right." Rick eyed Daryl suspiciously.  
  
        Daryl shifted and winced as a pain shot up his side. He leaned forward reflexively, placing his hands over his side. Rick looked concerned "May I?"  
  
        Daryl didn't respond, he just moved his hands away from his side. Rick gingerly lifted Daryl's shirt. A massive bruise ran the length of Daryl's torso. Rick was horrified at the shape the younger man was in. He could clearly see Daryl's ribs. He was skinnier then he had anticipated. His body was just bone and muscle. The man looked like he hadn't eaten properly in a long time. His skin was marred in scars. One very prominent one on his hip. The scar was an odd circle, about half an inch wide. It closely resembled the wound one would gain from being shot.  
  
        Daryl felt strange under Rick's scrutiny. Like he was being judged. The Rick he knew never judged him. He never looked at him with piercing eyes, studying every inch of him like a common criminal. He didn't like the feeling it gave him. It made him feel worthless. Daryl knocked Rick's hand to the side and spoke with disgust "You satisfied?"  
  
        Rick shook his head. "I know about your father, Daryl. He has a record of domestic abuse."  
  
        "You don't know nothing." Daryl snapped, defensively. It had been a long time since that topic had been brought up and he didn't think he'd be so easily bothered by it. It was a sore subject that he wasn't fond of thinking about. Rick looked down at Daryl, trying to think of a way to defuse the tension but found every attempt would be quickly shot down by Daryl's continued silent game.  
  
        He gave up for the time being. "We'll continue this talk later." He informed Daryl before sending him back to his cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment telling me what you think.


	3. Past Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl faces some of his demons.

        Daryl spent the night trying to wrap his head around his situation. He found it very hard to believe this was all in his head. Rick and Shane were just too real. Everything was just too real. His next thoughts were a bit far afield but he questioned his own sanity. Maybe the walkers and everyone were the real figment of his imagination. He shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. No, there must be some logical explanation as to what was going on.  All night long his mind frantically searched for some kind of explanation but all he gained was a headache from it all. Giving up, he allowed himself to submit to sleep, careful of the throbbing bump on the back of his head.  
  
        It wasn't long when Daryl was jarred awake with a head splitting bang. He jumped up fists raised defensively, his eyes searching the cell for the cause. As his gaze followed the length of the cell, it rested on a highly amused Shane, standing near the entrance inside the cell, a night stick in hand. He smiled, banging the night stick against the bars causing a loud metallic noise to resonate within the cell. Daryl winced as the noise sent sharp pain slicing though his skull. White hot color snapping to life behind his eyes. His skin rippled as his tense muscles coiled. Every fiber of his body cried out for it to stop.   
  
        Shane continued to bang and rattle the bars, satisfied with the reaction he was getting from his prisoner. Squirming like the insect he was. Daryl on the other hand could feel his agitation mounting. Between the pain in the back of his skull and the cage surrounding him. His heart pounded in his head as he forced himself to hold back but with another bang, he flew into a blind rage governed by instinct. With an animal like ferocity, he lunged at his aggressor a flurry of fists as he pinned him against the bars, knocking the night stick out of his grasp.  
  
        Shane's amusement quickly melted into anger as he desperately fought the man before him, calling out for his partner. "Rick!" He screamed as he fought back, punching Daryl in the stomach and catching him in the jaw. Suddenly Rick stormed into the room, looking down at the scene completely thrown off by what was going on. With a quick movement, he caught Daryl from behind and attempted to restrain him, pulling his arms behind his back painfully. Daryl grunted in response to Rick's rough grip. Shane stood up, wiping the blood from his split lip, looking a bit taken aback by the wild look in Daryl's eyes. Like he wasn't looking at a man anymore but a predator that wasn't so pleased at being caged and used. Daryl watched every movement of the officer. His muscles coiling under his skin, ready to continue the fight as soon as Rick released him. Shane made to step forward towards the prisoner but was greeted with bared teeth. Daryl hunched his shoulders, pulling away from Rick. A feral wild look filled his eyes. As Shane shifted from one foot to the other, Daryl's eyes followed him like an animal watching prey.  
  
        "You okay?" Rick asked Shane as he placed handcuff on Daryl, making sure he couldn't fight back.  
  
        Shane stopped and tore his eyes from Daryl, meeting Rick's look of concern. "Yeah."  
  
        "What happened here?" Rick questioned his partner.  
  
        "He attacked me for no reason." Shane explained.  
  
        Rick narrowed his eyes at his partner. "What were you doing in here?" He questioned.  
  
        "He wasn't looking so hot, so I came in to check on him then wham." Shane explained, gesturing to his split lip.  
  
        Rick took his word then nodded towards his partner. "Get fixed up. I'll take it from here."  
  
        Shane nodded absently "You sure?"  
  
        "Yeah. I got it." Rick reassured. "Take the rest of the day off."  
  
        Shane left a bit begrudgingly. As soon as he was gone and out of sight, Rick sat Daryl down on the bench. "Don't move." He commanded before leaving the cell. Daryl looked around, releasing a long sigh. He felt his tense muscles start to unwind a bit. His anger subsided with Shane's absence. Something about the guy really wound him up. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes to regain his composure. It's been a long time since he lost his cool like that. He breathed slowly, settling the pulsing sound of his heart. It's heavy beating filling his head. With each breath, he felt more and more lightheaded. He shook his head and opened his eyes, trying to focus on something more grounded. When he opened his eyes, he spotted Rick's tall form walking into the open cell door. He didn't even notice he left it open. In his hands was a small plastic white box with a symbolic red cross on the front.  
  
         He sat the plastic container on the bench beside him and crouched to eye level. Daryl watched him dig around inside the container and found a small bottle of peroxide and a small folded square of gauze. He placed the gauze over the mouth of the bottle and tilted it, dampening the cloth. Setting the bottle down, Rick reached for Daryl's forehead but Daryl flinched away. "It's okay." Rick reassured him. "Just cleaning you up a bit. Your forehead is bleeding." Daryl furrowed his brow in confusion. Rick dug into the plastic box and produced a hand mirror and showed him. Sure enough, a large cut was left above his left eye. His lip was a bit swollen and he had a bruise already starting to form on his left eye. He came to the realization that the sudden rush of adrenaline left him feeling numb to most things. But now that it was dying down, he was starting to feel sore. Shane had gotten a few good shots on him.  
  
        Rick sat the mirror back in the box and looked to Daryl. "May I?" He inquired first. Feeling a little off hearing those words come from Rick, he nodded slowly allowing the sheriff to tend to his wounds. Daryl closed his eyes as Rick patched his eye up, the silence broken by Rick's voice. "I know he lied to me." Rick started. Daryl knew exactly what Rick was talking about. "He has his own tells when he's lying." Rick explained, talking about his partner. "You didn't attack him out of the blue like that, did you?"   
  
        Daryl remained quiet so Rick continued. "I know my partner." Rick finished, gently placing a plaster over Daryl's eye. "I know you too." Rick added before standing up, closing the first aid kit. "Nothing I can do for your lip." He explained as he gestured for Daryl to stand up. When he did, he removed the handcuffs then left, closing the cell door behind him.  
  
  
        That night Daryl tossed and turned restlessly on the bench, sleep eluding him once more. He turned, his back to the cell bars and closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep. His body shivered in the cold. The eerie silence bothered him. He was used to the sounds of the woods. The cries of coyotes, the hooting of owls, the angry chatter of raccoons or snickering of possums. But now, it was just silence. Cold, empty silence. Another chill ran down his spine as he shivered alone.   
  
        "Well, well. What'd we have here?" A gruff voice came from behind Daryl, by the door. Daryl turned around so quickly, he nearly fell off the bench, looking in complete disbelief.   
  
        "Merle?" Daryl managed in complete shock. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.  
  
        "Heard ya got yourself in some trouble, little brother." Merle explained.   
  
        "What?" Daryl asked absently. Still trying to believe what he was seeing.  
  
        "That the kind of greeting I get? Haven't seen ya in a while." Merle teased.  
  
        "Y-yeah." Daryl stammered as he rose to his feet and walked up to the bars.   
  
        Merle reached a hand through the bars and held it out to him. Daryl took it and was pulled against the bars in an awkward brotherly hug. Daryl grunted painfully against the bars and Merle's bear hug. Daryl pulled away, taking note of his brother having both hands. His head spun dizzily as his mind tried to make sense of everything. Once again he was left at a loss.  
  
        "Heard you got into a little trouble. Breaking and entering? Theft?" Merle chuckled. "Stepping up in the world little brotha. Where'd you hit up?"  
  
        Daryl ignored Merle's curious inquiry. "It don't matter. Can ya get me outta here?"   
  
        "Of course little brotha." Merle smiled a greasy smile. "But it'll cost ya."  
  
        "You're an ass you know that?" Daryl growled. "Greedy bastard."   
  
        "I may be a greedy bastard but ya know, I'm sticking my neck out there too." Merle explained. "Everything has a price little brotha."  
  
        "You know, fuck you! I don't need your help." Daryl cursed, turning his back on his brother. "I'll get out on my own."  
  
        "Exactly how ya gonna do that? Gonna sweet talk em? Do em a favor. Maybe your buddy Sheriff Rick will let ya blow em. Huh Darleen?" Merle taunted, watching Daryl pace back and forth inside the cell.  
  
        "I said fuck you. Leave me alone!" Daryl growled, turning on his brother, finding him no longer there. His eyes wild, searching the hallway frantically. "Merle?" He asked, looking around.  "Merle!" He called out, his voice echoing through the empty station.  
  
        


	4. Brothers

        Rick heard frantic chatter out by the front gates of Alexandria. He walked down the empty streets towards the gathered people. Glenn and Maggie were among them. As Rick approached, Glenn shared a look of concern with him. "What's going on?" He inquired.  
  
        Glenn's concern filled his voice. "It's Daryl." Glenn explained.  
  
        Suddenly, the crowd's excited chatter died down and broke, allowing Aaron to step forward towards Rick. Aaron was covered in black blood. Looking like he had a bad run in with walkers. He was a bit banged up but not looking too bad. "Rick." Aaron looked relieved seeing the elder man. Before he could continue, Rick cut him off.  
  
        "What happened? Where's Daryl?" His eyes searching the crowd, hoping he had maybe missed the archer.  
  
        Aaron's concern and regret shadowed his face. "We were on a supply run but got over run by walkers. Daryl tried to lure them away. I haven't seen him since. I tried to go back but there were just too many." The deep regret was obvious in his tone.  
  
        Rick thought for a minute, the crowd's chatter rekindled. The concern for the archer was shared amongst the people of Alexandria. Many of them already talking as if all hope was already lost for the man. But Rick knew better. Glenn did too. Daryl wasn't going down that easy. They've survived worse then this. But Rick was worried none the less. "Aaron." He said, catching the younger man's attention. "You remember where you saw Daryl last?"  
  
        Aaron nodded "Yes. I do."  
  
        "Good, we're going to get him." Rick explained.  
  
        "I'm coming too." Glenn piped up.  
  
        "No. You stay here. Everyone is riled up enough as it is. I need you here." He explained, placing a hand on Glenn's shoulder and squeezing it. Glenn understood. He then looked to Aaron. "Let's go."  
  
        As they left, Glenn and Maggie disbanded the gathering of Alexandrians. Dispersing the people and sending them off. As the two made their way down the road, Rick tossed a glance back towards Alexandria, seeing Glenn and Maggie on lookout above the wall, ensuring there's a way back for their family.  
  
  
        Aaron whipped the pick up truck back behind the repair shop, hiding it under the heavy foliage once more. He led Rick to the pet shop, looking around. The sun had already set. The moon rose high into the night sky, giving off a soft glow like a nightlight. Casting strange shadows on the buildings below. Aaron pointed towards the lumber yard where the fence had broke, unleashing the corpses it kept confined. Keeping low to the ground, they moved carefully from building to building. Aaron made a gesture with his hands, pointing towards the grocery store they had planned to loot for supplies. It's windows and doors still left untouched. Secured in place. Further down was the gas station. Two walkers wandered around in the opening near the gas pumps. Quickly, Rick realized, they had a lot of area to cover if they were to find Daryl. He figured since the store was still locked up tight, they started looking in the surrounding buildings. Careful of the lumber yard. It had many hiding spots and corners for walkers to come from unseen.  
  
        Rick cursed himself for not being more keen in tracking. Usually in situations like this, he had Daryl leading him but now all Rick had was intuition and instinct left from his years of working as a cop, doing missing person's cases. Of course there weren't very many of those in King County and he didn't have a professionally trained bloodhound. Well, at least his bloodhound was the one they were searching for. Rick smiled to himself at that thought. Though the smile was quickly wiped away when a walkers shambled around the corner. Rick was so caught up in thought, he nearly ran into it. Quickly both he and Aaron ducked into a doorway and waited for the walker to wander off. It headed down the street past an open alley. Aaron nudged Rick "Last I saw, he went that way." he murmured, pointing towards the alley.  
  
        When Daryl managed to gain the attention of all the walkers, Aaron tried to run back to help but was forced back by a few loitering walkers. He just barely managed to catch a glimpse of Daryl running into the alley, forcing the walkers to funnel into the narrow space, slowly shambling around. A good portion had lost interest almost instantly at the jam packed entrance and wandered off towards him. Luckily he had gained enough ground between him and them but a few had cut him off and he was forced to fight back.  
  
        Rick slipped out from the protection of the doorway and darted across the street, slowly easing into the dark alley. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small handheld flashlight. Clicking it on, the light shone on a handful of walkers, laying on the ground in the narrow littered alleyway. By the looks of them, you'd think they had been run over. A majority of their torso's crushed into the ground. Some of them, their skulls were smashed into the garbage. A couple were still moving, jaws chomping and hissing in place, unable to move towards the prey walking among them.  Rick used his knife and went one by one, stabbing each one in the brain before moving on. He followed the alley to a chain link fence and a dumpster. A tiny gap lay between the dumpster and brick exterior wall of a building. The fence in that gap had been cut, allowing access. Quietly, Rick peeled the fencing back and held it open for Aaron to slip through. Once on the other side, Aaron held the fencing so Rick could follow. As Rick slid through, something caught his attention at eye level. A piece of cloth had gotten caught up in the fence. Rick plucked it away, examining it beneath the rays of the flashlight. The cloth was about an inch long and half an inch wide. As he studied it closer, he recognized it as a piece of leather fabric from Daryl's jacket. He looked around frantically, searching the area. The only place he could imagine the archer might go when a pack of walkers were hunting him was right across the street. The gas station.  
  
        Rick motioned for Aaron to watch his back as he made his way towards the gas station. Closing in on the front entrance, he ducked behind a pump and waited as a walker shambled by. Quickly he stabbed the walker before darting to the next set of pumps to go after the second walker. After finishing that, Aaron whispered from behind "Rick."  
  
        Rick turned to face his concerned companion. "What?"  
  
        Aaron pointed towards a shiny streamline, glinting moonlight in their direction. "Look."  
  
        Rick moved a little closer, squinting into the darkness. The streamline was surrounded by a handful of walkers, all clawing at the door and walls. Their growls and frantic behavior suggested they were after something inside the camper. Rick cursed under his breath. His thoughts racing as he tried to figure a way to lure them away. There were too many around the camper to attack head on and gunshots was just going to attract more. They were lucky enough to get this far without incident. Looking around, Rick spotted the lumber yard. He thought for a moment. The last few weeks have been fairly hot and dry. "I have a plan. Follow me."  
  
  
        Rick had piled a large amount of lumber in the center of the yard and with the help of a few bottles of lighter fluid from the grocery store next door, Rick was ready to light his masterpiece. Just as he finished emptying the last bottle of lighter fluid, Aaron stepped out of the shadows with a large dufflebag on his back. Rick already had an idea of what was inside. "Ready?" Rick questioned.  
  
        Aaron simply nodded as Rick struck a match and threw it on the pile. Within seconds the entire pile was consumed in a roaring burst of flames. As the flames ate away at the wood hungrily, there was sudden snaps and pops from within. Aaron gave Rick a questioning look as they turned to depart out a back way. Rick smiled to himself "Found some firecrackers. Thought they'd make a nice touch." Sure enough, the combination of the roaring fire and the fire crackers, the walkers surrounding the streamline quickly diverted their attention towards the lumber yard and started to shamble off. Taking the opening, the two men rushed to the camper and tried pulling at the hatch but to no avail. It was locked. Rick kept a mind to the distant explosions as they became fewer and fewer. The firecrackers about all burned up. Rick called through the door "Daryl? Daryl!" He pressed his ear up against it, hearing nothing but silence for a while. He called once more "Daryl!" Then listened. A soft groan came from inside the camper. One Rick recognized almost immediately. "Hold on. We're going to get you out of there."  
  
        Aaron looked around for a tool to break inside while trying to figure out how Daryl had gotten inside. He tried to peer inside the dim windows, wiping away the fog that had accumulated on the glass, he craned his head, catching sight of the hole in the roof. "Rick." Aaron said, as he mounted the ladder on the back of the camper. "The roof."         
        Rick ran to the window and looked inside himself. "Careful." He warned then continued his search of the dark room. The small shreds of moonlight that made their way inside illuminated the unconscious figure laying on the floor, covered in debris.  
  
        Aaron carefully maneuvered himself across the roof and gently lowered himself inside, watchful so as not to step on Daryl. He unblocked the door and opened it before crouching down beside Daryl.  
  
        Rick through the door open, cursing under his breath. Daryl had a large cut above his eyes and multiple minor cuts on his face. His hands and elbows were scraped and coated in a thin layer of dried blood. "Daryl? Can you hear me?" Rick questioned, assessing his friend.  
  
        "Rick, we gotta go. Now." Aaron warned, watching out the door. Rick tossed a glance toward the flames and noticed they were quickly dying down. The walkers returning back towards them.  
  
        "Let's get him up." Rick said, grabbing one of Daryl's arms as Aaron grabbed the other and hauled him to his feet. They wasted no time, making their way across the street to the alley. Aaron held the fencing for Rick as he maneuvered both him and Daryl through the gap then carefully picked through the littered alleyway, stepping over the garbage and dead walkers before making it to the opening by the grocery store. "Go. Get the truck." Rick ordered. "I got him."  
  
        Rick shouldered Daryl's weight and edged along while Aaron ran in full sprint back to the repair shop. He tossed the dufflebag in the front passenger seat and whipped the truck out into the open. Rick tossed a glance over his shoulder and quickened his pace as a group of walkers had spotted him and was now closing in. Suddenly out of nowhere Aaron pulled the truck up passed them. Rick pulled the tailgate down and dragged Daryl's limp form into the back with him. Closing it behind him and hollered "Go!" The truck's engine roared as they spun out down main street, kicking up gravel at the walkers that grabbed for the back of the truck. Rick sat in the bed of the truck, holding onto Daryl.  
  
        The ride back to Alexandria was a short one but to Rick, it felt too long. Daryl was still out and showed no signs of coming to anytime soon. As they pulled up to the gates, Aaron waved Glenn to help. He and Maggie opened the gates and rushed to the truck, Glenn helping shoulder Daryl's weight and carrying him into Alexandria. Aaron and Maggie right behind then. Maggie ran ahead to alert the others at the house.  
  
        When they managed to get to the house, Carol was already waiting, guiding them to a spare room where she had a bed all ready for him. Carefully Rick laid his brother down on the bed just as Glenn returned with a first aid kit. Maggie returned to the lookout with Aaron. Rick watched over Daryl as Glenn began to dress his wounds. In the light of the house, Rick took in Daryl's pitiful form. His face was bruised up and swollen, covered in cuts and blood. His skin covered in a sprinkling of white powder from the roof. From the looks of it, Rick had figured Daryl climbed up to get away from the walkers but the roof gave out under his weight. As Glenn inspected Daryl further, he found a rather large bump to the back of Daryl's head. He gave Rick a worried glance but Rick reassured him. "He's come back from worse."  
  
        Glenn nodded and started cleaning him up. Carol carried in a large bowl of clean warm water and started cleaning Daryl's wounds with the damp cloth. As she cleaned them, Glenn bandaged them. Gingerly Glenn held Daryl's head up as Carol wrapped the injury, covering both the wound to the back of his head and the one above his eye. She was about finished when her hand bumped the wound. In a flash Daryl's hands came up and grabbed a hold of Glenn and in a blink both of them were on the floor. Glenn had his hands up in defense and Rick was already on him, pulling at Daryl. Suddenly Daryl's body went slack and he fell to the side. "Daryl?!" Both Rick and Carol yelled in surprise.  
  
        "He's still out." Carol noted in disbelief.  
  
        Rick reached down to help Glenn to his feet. "What was that?" Glenn asked confused and keeping his distance from the redneck.  
  
        "Reflexes." Rick explained.  
  
        "Triggered by pain." Carol explained. "I bumped his wound. The shock of it must of triggered it."  
  
        Rick lifted Daryl up, shouldering his weight and returning him to the bed. "He shouldn't be left alone with that injury." Carol pointed out.  
  
        "I'll keep an eye on him." Rick volunteered.  
  
        "You sure?" She asked, taking in Rick's tired and worn out appearance.  
  
        "Yeah. I got it." He reassured.  
  
  
  
  
        Rick had taken a seat beside Daryl's bed and remained by his side, watching him. It had been a while since they'd been in this situation. Last time Daryl got himself into this much trouble was back on Hershel's farm looking for Sophia. Though, back then he had taken an arrow, a bullet and a massive fall. Luckily enough it was only a head injury though at least then he had bounced back in no time and he had made it back to the farm in one piece. This time they had to send a search team after him. Those days felt like a lifetime ago and he was so used to Daryl being the strong one in the group. The one that didn't need anyone to rely on. He was always there for Rick. Always was his support. He was everyone's support. Carrying the heaviest of burdens so the others wouldn't have to. Taking on the hardest tasks just to save the others from having to do the same. Many would say he did it because he had nothing to lose. But Rick knew otherwise. He knew the real reason's. He knew Daryl better then anyone else. He was his brother. And that was why Daryl did the things he did. Because of this group. These people. His people. Carl, Judith, Carol, Glenn, Maggie. Everyone. They were his family. To an outsider, Daryl acts without a second thought towards the consequences, without thinking of his own life and well being but he knows sacrifice. He knows what it's like to lose people. And hes bound determine to sacrifice his all if it meant his family was safe.  
  
        Rick understood that better then anyone else. He would do the same. Has done the same. But this time, it hurt him because he was blind to the sacrifices his brother had given. Of the losses he has suffered. Rick felt as if he had been selfish about it all. Taking things personally. He felt like that made it hard for Daryl to lean on him. To confide in him. They were brothers, yeah. But Daryl isn't one to open up. He is the type others open up to. But there is only so much someone like that can take before they explode. He worried about his brother. Worried that he had neglected his brother.  
  
        Rick bowed his head and buried it in his shaking hands, feeling sick to his stomach all of a sudden. He released a long distant sigh, fearful of what he would do if he were to lose his brother. That sick feeling worsening inside his gut, settling like a sour rot.  
  
        " _......Rick...._ " The voice was a hoarse murmur. Rick almost didn't even notice even in the silence of the room. He looked around expecting someone to be lurking in the doorway but no one was there. " _Rick...._ " The voice was nearly a whimper, soft and barely audible.  
  
        Suddenly Rick realized the source was the man laying before him. Expecting to find the archer watching him with hawk like seriousness, he was taken aback to realize the man was calling to him in his sleep. Rick found himself speechless, reaching for Daryl's hand and taking it in his, careful of his bandaged knuckles. "I'm right here brother." Rick whispered back reassuringly. "I've got your back."

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! Leave me a comment.
> 
>  
> 
> Here's something fun. 
> 
> Can you figure out what fears of Daryl's are symbolized in chapters 2, 3 and 5?
> 
> Leave a comment of what you think.


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